Loom shuttle



Patented Apr. 1s, 1944 asians LOOM SHUTTLE Y Harold E. Golf, Millbury, Mass., assigner to Watson-Williams Manufacturing Company,

Millbury, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application May 11, 1942, Serial No. 442,435

2 Claims.

This invention relates to shuttles used for weaving cloth, and relates more particularly to that type of shuttle in which the weft carrier or bobbin is placed on a spindle which is pivotally mounted in the shuttle. Spring means is commonly provided for holding the spindle in lowered and operative position, or in raised and inoperative position. It is essential that the spindle be accurately aligned with the shuttle-eye when in lowered position and it is desirable that the upward movement of the spindle be limited.

My present vinvention relates to the provision of improved means for accurately positioning a shuttle spindle in both operative and inoperative positions. My improved positioning means is so designed that all parts will permanently retain their desired relationship and that they will be strongly wear-resistant during long periods of use.

My invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

A preferred form of the invention is shown in the drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a partial plan View of a shuttle embodying my improvements;

Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation, taken substantially along the line 2-2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the spindle in raised and inoperative position;

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of certain parts, taken along the line 4 4 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a positioning block; and

Fig. 6 is a plan view thereof, looking in the direction of the arrow 6 in Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawing, I have shown a part of a shuttle S having the usual open body portion B to receive a bobbin or other weft carrier mounted on a spindle It). The spindle lil has a head I I provided with an open bearing portion |2 adapted to fit over a xed stud o r pin M extending crosswise through the shuttle.

The spindle Il) preferably has a ange l5 which determines the inner or rearward position of the bobbin, and the head of the spindle is provided with a relatively at top surface US engaged by a holding spring 20 secured by a binding screw 2|. The head il of the spindle I0 is mounted between the sides of a U-shaped retaining member 24 (Fig. 4) having an upturned flange 25 (Figs. 1 and 2) at its front edge adapted to be engaged by the ange at the butt .20 engages the head of a bobbin, which is thus held from accidental forward displacement.

All of the parts thus far described, except for the specific conformation of the head il, are of the usual commercial type and in themselves form no part of my present invention, which relates to the accurate positioning of the spindle lll in the operative position shown in Fig. 2 and also in the inoperative position shown in Fig. 3.

For the purposes of my invention, I provide' the positioning block 3B shown in detail in Figs. 5 and 6 and having an inclined front surface Si, an upwardly extending lug 32, and a slightly inclined rear surface 33. The block 3i! also has a transverse opening 3d to receive a cross pin or screw 35 when the block is mounted between the sides of the U-shaped retaining member 2li.

The surfaces 3| and 33 are so disposed with respect to the surfaces 40 and 4| of the head El that they will accurately position the spindle, both in lowered and in raised position. When the spindle head surface 40 engages the stop surface 3| on the block 39, the spindle Iii will be accurately aligned with the shuttle eye as shown in Fig. 2, and when the rear surface S3 of the lug 32 is engaged by the surface il of the spindle head I the spindle is held in a desired raised position for removal and replacement of a bobbin or weft carrier. In both positions, the spring Il and yieldingly prevents return movement of the spindle until ythe spindle is forcibly displaced.

I have thus provided accurate and positive means for stopping the spindle in the desired raised and lowered positions, and I have also provided engaging surfaces of substantial area, so that they will not be affected by wear under any usual operating conditions. Consequently, the accurate positioning of the spindle in both operative and inoperative positions will be permanently maintained. The engaging surfaces 33 and 4| definitely prevent excess upward swinging movement of the spindle, when a bobbin is to be replaced. v

It will be noted that upward movement of the spindle is stopped before the flange |5 can engage the end of the spring 2). Such engagement has been found capable of deforming or displacing the spring 2B in the shuttle, or it may split the end of the shuttle, in a shuttle where the spring 2G is not used.

Furthermore, I avoid the use of stop screws or other adjustable devices for positioning the spindle, which devices might become loosened o1' displaced during loom operation area coacting with a surface of similar area on,

said spindle head to locate said head in operative position, and said block having an upwardly extended lug with a rear surface coacting with a second surface on the spindle head to limit upward swinging movement of said spindle. 2. The combination in a shuttle as set forth in claim 1, in which the spindle has a bobbin-engaging flange adjacent the spindle head, and in which the shuttle has a spring to yeldingly position the spindle in either operative or inoperative position, and in which swinging upward movement of the spindle to inoperative position is stopped by engagement of said lug and said second surface on the spindle head before said flange engages the front end of said spring.

HAROLD E. GOFF. 

